Published: Friday, September 6, 2013 at 5:06 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, September 6, 2013 at 5:06 p.m.

Maryellen Shae Brown, 27, and Jeremy Pittman, 30, both of 198 Carriage Gate Drive, are each charged with two counts of child cruelty.

A school guidance counselor asked a deputy to visit the students’ home because the children, who are 5 and 7 years old, had lice and told teachers they had no water or electricity, according to a Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office report.

An officer visited the children’s home and met with their mother on Aug. 29.

The officer was allowed inside the home and reportedly saw bugs crawling on the floor, trash scattered throughout the home and no furniture except for bare mattresses. There also was no food in the refrigerator or cabinets, nor was there running water, the report states.

The children’s room had a bare mattress, clothing, trash and debris “everywhere,” the officer noted in the report.

The state Department of Social Services was notified of the matter. The couple was later questioned about a case of beer beside the refrigerator and several beer cans around the house, according to a separate report.

The couple could not provide a “good explanation” for how they could buy beer, but not afford food for the children, the report states. The couple said the beer beside the refrigerator was not theirs, the report states.

The children also had a “severe” case of lice, and many dead lice remained in their hair, the report states.

Brown was booked into the Spartanburg County jail at about 11:30 p.m. Thursday, while Pittman was booked around 10:50 a.m. Friday, according to online jail records.

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